One Sweet Slice Chocolate Cupcakes

Daniel and I first came across One Sweet Slice at a bridal show when we were engaged.  We fell in love with their black and white cupcakes and decided to have a black and white wedding case because of it.  We've tried a couple of times to make a cake like the one we tasted at One Sweet Slice, but with no luck.  Today, however, I struck gold when I found that they posted their recipe for chocolate cupcakes on Facebook.  Here it is:

Ingredients:
1 cup granulated sugar
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg
½ cup sour cream
¼ cup oil
1 tablespoon real vanilla extract
½ cup boiling water.

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners.
In a large heatproof mixing bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the egg, sour cream, oil and the vanilla. Mix with a wooden spoon or silicon spatula (which I prefer) just until smooth and combined. Pour in the boiling water, and slowly mix starting from the center working your way out (this makes it easier to mix without the splattering.). The batter will be liquidy, but fear not, this is normal.
Divide the batter evenly among the lined cups.
Bake for 15-19 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through, until a cake tester or a wooden toothpick inserted into the center of each cupcake comes out clean.
Let cupcakes cool completely before frosting.

Alterations:
Decrease sugar by 1 Tablespoon
Decrease baking soda to just over ½ teaspoon
Decrease baking powder to just over ½ teaspoon
Increase flour by 1 Tablespoon
Increase egg by 1 (so add 2 eggs instead of 1 to the recipe)
Increase temperature to 370 degrees F

Also, I recommend checking the place out if you have never been there.  Best cupcakes I have ever had. http://www.onesweetslice.com/.

Gourmet Macaroni and Cheese

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 cups uncooked macaroni (can use any pasta really; I used one box of Barilla brand cavatelli)
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 1/4 cups milk
• 1/4 cup (2 oz.) cream cheese
• 2 teaspoons mustard
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 clove garlic (pressed)
• 1 1/4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup shredded swiss cheese
• 1/2 - 1 lb chopped cooked ham (I used leftover baked ham)
• 12 oz. package frozen chopped brocolli or peas
• 1 - 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs

DIRECTIONS:

 Cook pasta and vegetables according to package directions (to save time, I often just combine the pasta and vegetables in one pot and cook according to pasta directions). 

While pasta cooks, place flour, salt, and pepper in a large saucepan.  Add milk, stirring with a whisk until well blended.  Drop cream cheese by teaspoonfuls into milk mixture.  Bring to boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly.  Reduce heat; simmer 2 minutes or until thick and cream cheese melts, stirring occasionally. Stir in mustard, Worcestershire sauce and garlic.  Simmer 1 minute.  Remove from heat.  Add cheddar cheese, stirring until cheese melts. Combine pasta, cheese sauce and vegetables and toss well.  Transfer to glass baking dish.  Top pasta mixture with shredded swiss cheese, then with breadcrumbs.  Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Makes about 8 large servings.

Stuffed Peppers

INGREDIENTS:

• Six large green bell peppers - tops and seeds removed.
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 jar marinara sauce (I like Barilla brand)
• 1 1/4 cups instant brown rice
• 1/4 cups finely chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 lb ground turkey
• 4-5 button mushrooms, finely chooped
• 1 Italian sausage link, casing removed
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• Shredded cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and cook bell peppers in the boiling water until slightly softened, about 5 minutes.  Drain and rinse peppers with cold water.
3. Stir eggs, marinary sauce, instant rice, onion, salt, Worcestershire sauce, and black pepper together in a bowl. Crumble ground turkey, sausage link, and mushrooms into the mixture and stir until thoroughly combined.
4. Stand peppers in a large baking dish and fill each pepper with the mixture. Cover dish with aluminum foil.
5. Bake in the preheated oven until peppers are tender, the filling is set, and an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the middle of a pepper reads at least 160 degrees, 55-60 minutes. Uncover and top each pepper with Cheddar cheese. Bake until cheese is melted (about 2-3 more minutes).  

Makes six large servings.

Squash and Corn Chowder

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 thick cut slices of applewood-smoked bacon
• 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
• 2 stalks celery (diced)
• 2 small yellow crookneck squash (seeds removed and diced)
• 2 small zucchini squash (diced)
• 2 small potatoes (diced)
• 1 small package frozen corn 
• 1 chicken bouillon cube
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 1/4 cups milk
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1/4  cup parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS:
1. Cook bacon in large soup pot until crisp.  Remove from pan and put on paper towels to dry.  Add potatoes to drippings in pan and saute for 5 minutes.  Add remaining vegetables except corn and saute 8 more minutes or until vegetables are tender.  Season vegetables with garlic salt and pepper.

2.  Add water, bouillon cube, and corn and bring to boil.  Cook 5 minutes until corn is warmed. Add Parmesan cheese and milk and cook until heated through.

3. Ladle soup into bowls.  Top with cheddar cheese and bacon crumbles and serve.  Makes about 6 servings.

Turkey Cranberry Paninis

INGREDIENTS:

• Whole Wheat Bread (it's better if it's a hearty bread)
• Deli Turkey (thick slices) or leftover Thanksgiving turkey
• Cranberry sauce
• Cream Cheese
• Avocado
• Gouda Cheese (can also use a different cheese, whatever you like)
• Butter

DIRECTIONS:

 Butter the outsides of the slices of bread.  Spread cream cheese and cranberry sauce on the inside of one slice.  On the other slice with the buttered side facing down, pile gouda, avocado slices and turkey.  Top with the cream cheese/cranberry sauced slice.  Use panini press or cook in a skillet pan like you're cooking a grilled cheese.  Repeat for each panini.  Enjoy!

Garden Chowder Soup

INGREDIENTS:

2 Medium Zucchinis
1 Medium Onion, Chopped
2 T Fresh Parsley, Minced
1 tsp Dried Basil
1/3 c Butter
1/3 c Flour
1 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
3 c Vegetable Broth
1 tsp lemon juice
2-3 Tomatoes, Diced
1 12oz can Evaporated Milk
1 can Corn
1/3 c Parmesan Cheese, grated
2 c Cheddar Cheese

DIRECTIONS:

Over medium heat saute the onion, zucchini, parsley, and basil in butter until vegetables are tender. Stir in flour, salt and pepper. Gradually stir in vegetable broth. Add lemon juice; mix well. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for two minutes. Add tomatoes, milk, and corn; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for five minutes or until corn is tender. Just before serving, stir in cheese just until melted. Serve.

Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 can of chicken or 1.5-2 cups diced, cooked chicken
• 2 thick cut (or 4 thinner cut) bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
• 1 cup halved grapes
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
• 2 tablespoons finely minced onion
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 dash Worcestershire sauce
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Combine ingredients and toss until well mixed. Chill until serving. I like to serve it on toasted wheat bread with crisp romaine lettuce.